Our Christmas
by ZOMGWTFBBQ-LOL
Summary: What happens on one Christmas night when Mello and Near get left behind on a Christmas trip in the freezing cold? I really suck at summarys the story is a hell of a lot better than the description...0.o MelloxNear Shounen-ai, rated T for some language.


**DISCLAIMER: DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE OR ANYTHING ELSE! O.o**

"This is all your fault, Near!!"

The vexed blonde was shouting far too loud considering the humble silence around him. Powdery snow fell gently from the midnight-blue sky and seemed to petrify everything on that eventful Winter night. Well, everything but Mello, who stood trembling from the ice cold air, left behind, and Near the only other soul in sight. It was only natural to blame him for this mess.  
To think how _happy_ and excited he had been only a few hours prior...

Not a single child at Wammy's had gotten a full night of sleep the evening before--and this was not due to insomnia but instead, something much, much more exciting.

L was coming home.

Although the eccentric man was busy with work he refused to break the tradition of returning to the Wammy House on Christmas Eve and spend time, short and precious time, with the children who may one day succeed him. It was the thing they looked forward to most come Winter. Father Christmas? Who cared about some make-believe fat man in a green and red suit? Getting to see L was all the gifted orphans ever wanted. It didn't even matter if he arrived empty-handed (though he never did), hearing him discuss the details of his work was the greatest gift imaginable.

Mello, a well-known bully around the orphanage--as well as the second in line for L's name--was especially thrilled when a dark vehicle pulled up to the gates and out stepped the tall, hunched over man who he admired so. The genius detective received a warm welcome as always, filled with cheery smiles, hugs, and both simple and complicated questions from all of the curious minds around him. In fact, **everyone** had gathered around the man--who was beginning to look a little overcrowded--except **Near**.

"Rude little prick. Does he think he's too good to stand or something?" Mello thought silently.

When Near did finally tear his eyes away from the lego city he was building, all he found was Mello's piercing glare. When L noticed the boys staring at eachother with such intensity, his eyes widened and lips curled in that "I've just realized something new!" sort of way and he simply brought his thumb to his bottom lip and continued to watch. Mello flushed when he realized L was staring at him, but quickly noted that it must have been due to the obvious tension between he and Near. Tch. Was he really only realizing this now? If that was the case Mello somehow was not surprised. L, after all, was never there. He didn't know the orphans personalities too well, what relationships (or rivalries) had formed between them, he didn't know their likes or dislikes--he simply didn't know **them**. And who could blame him? He was constantly working in hopes of ridding the world of evil people like Kira, and he would not stop even when justice was served--because there would **always** be criminals and the world would **always** need someone like L. Mello fully understood this, but at the same time the selfish piece of him wished that L could be there more often. Of course, regardless of all that, it was certain that L now knew how strained the relationship between the two most successful, intelligent, and driven successors had become.

The festive day went by far too quickly as they feasted on a delicious meal prepared by Watari himself, Christmas cookies shaped like trees and snowmen, and delicious hot cocoa with plenty of marshmallows, then listened to L discuss the challenges he was facing with this case as opposed to dealing with any "normal" criminal case. Mello couldn't help but notice how warm it felt when their idol was there. Surely, the other children felt the same way as well.  
Come nightfall, Roger announced a special "trip" they'd be taking into town to view view the beautifully lit shops and trees before returning and, at midnight, finally opening the gifts L had brought all the way from America.  
Everyone quickly ran to retrieve their coats and boots--all but Near, who foolishly chose a toy robot over a jacket. Apparently the kid didn't want to wear anything that wasn't perfectly white. "Freak," said Mello as he rolled his eyes and headed out the door with everyone else. Who cared if the little twerp froze to death? That was his own problem.  
After packing everyone into 3 vehicles, they headed into town and it was indeed a beautiful sight to see. The Wammy House was somewhat secluded, off where lights could only be seen in the distance, but now they could see everything up close. From the bright shops and displays to the massive decorated Christmas tree near the town square, everything was light and festive. L was the first to step out and attempt to catch snowflakes on his tongue, of all things, and the children soon followed suit, eyes glimmering as they took in all the colorful lights and faces lighting up from the excitement of spending this wonderful day with their hero. Soon enough the sound of kids giggling and "ooing" and "aaing" filled the snowy streets--but there were a few who didn't seem to be enjoying themselves quite as much as the others. Matt, arms folded and foot tapping impatiently seemed bemused and anxious to return home to the game he left behind. Mello with his jealous tendencies was too occupied with watching L lift Elizabeth--a girl gifted in music--up onto his shoulders to enjoy himself in the least. While Near--Near...? Mello glanced around and half-expected him to be playing by himself in the car, but there he was several feet away staring at an elaborate Christmas display in a shop window. Curiosity brought Mello closer, and he soon discovered the reason for Near's unusual interest: Bears, blocks, toys, and most impressive of all--a working, hand crafted train spinning around and around on its track. Mello frowned and wondered what it was about **toys** that intrigued Near so, but when his eyes wandered to the white figure beside him... he could have sworn he saw something new in those normally callous, stony eyes. A glimmer of emotion, of longing or perhaps nostalgia. But Mello quickly brushed it off as the reflection from the brightly lit display and returned his gaze to the colorful mini-wonderland before them. Minutes passed, Mello grew bored, and just as he turned to leave he realized Near was no longer standing beside him. In fact, that curly haired little **brat** was one step ahead of him, just like he was in life, and seemed to be heading off in the opposite direction of the group. Surprised, and once again curious, Mello stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and watched as the young boy wander not back to the car, which is where Mello assumed he would go, but instead towards another shop. The blonde boy gazed over his shoulder to find everyone was indeed going off and doing their own things: Nancy leading a group of kids towards the large Christmas tree, Roger standing underneath one of the shop roofs to avoid becoming soaked with snow, and L brushing off his snow-covered head as he made his way into a cafe with a full entourage following behind. Mello decided it wouldn't matter if he and Near wandered off for a bit--after all, it's not like they would just **leave** without them or anything! So the bored adolescent headed off in the same direction as his rival, not quite sure why but for the fact that everyone else was boring and being around L brought up too many annoying emotions.

Unfortunately, trailing Near was not exciting in the least. The pale boy stopped at every toy display, gazed through the window for 5 minutes at most, and then continued on to the next. Mello became upset when Near asked questions such as "Why are you following me?"--since he sure as hell didn't want to admit that he was actually **following** him. But overall things were quiet and cold.  
Eventually the strip of toy stores came to an end, and before Mello even realized it, things had grown considerably dark--simply due to the fact that they were now on a more remote and dimly lit side of town. And, to Mello's surprise, Near did not start heading back but instead approached what seemed to be a large platform for music and dancing, had it not been covered in snow. Several black lanterns provided dim light for the area, but for the most part, it was fairly dark. Mello raised a brow as Near climbed the snowy steps and called after him: "Where the hell are you going NOW?" When he did not receive any audible response, he sighed deeply and once again followed after.

Tiny pale fingers--almost as white as the snow itself--curled around the cold black bars that framed the round patio just for a moment before returning to that annoying, repetitive motion of twirling hair. It was annoying as hell so Mello attempted to focus on something else.  
In the distance, through the mist of snow, the Christmas lights could be seen but they were only a blur. So why did Near seem interested in them suddenly? The kid just stood there, looking off with that ever blank stare and finger spinning madly in a lock of snowy hair. It was strange how Mello caught himself staring at the statue-like child so often when he hated him **so much**. And deny as he might, there was something compelling about him.

Even if it was just for the fact that Near was so odd.

If Mello forgot about all the times that pompous child indirectly insulted and belittled him, constantly making a show of how much **better** he was at **every** damn thing, there were actually moments where Near reminded him very much of their idol--L. It was awful to compare his loathed rival to the only man he admired, but it was true. Near was eccentric and intelligent, calm and collected, and had so many quirky traits Mello couldn't help but be reminded of the dark-haired man. Of course, it couldn't be forgotten that even L expressed more emotion than this **robot** that stood beside him. He smiled and laughed and showed compassion from time to time, but Near? Near would never show such things, and the one time Mello did see him smile it was simply because Near had bested him and wanted to piss him off even more. And that indeed was a difference large enough to create hatred over respect. But all the same... there was certainly a bit of L in Near. And realizing that hurt more than anything, because Mello knew it was just one more reason for L to choose Near over him.

"Mello." The sudden mention of his name caused his head to snap up and eyes to widen slightly. Near was pointing off into the distance for some odd reason, so Mello quickly squinted to locate the object Near had his eyes set on. And then he did: on a distant road he saw the familiar dark vehicles from Wammy's driving off. One, two, three. "It seems that they are leaving without us."  
Mello's jaw dropped open as he gripped onto the railing in disbelief. "What!? How could they forget us!?" The elder boy ran towards the stairs, as if he planned on leaving, then quickly ran back to grab the railing and stare off towards the road once more. "They're coming back. They HAVE to. They wouldn't just leave us behind."  
Near remained silent for a moment or two, patiently watching the road as Mello seemed to be on the verge of hysteria, and then finally spoke up again. "With all the commotion and events going on the adults have a lot on their minds. There is a good chance they won't realize we're missing until they arrive back at Wammy's."  
Mello clenched his teeth together fiercly as he glowered at the smaller boy. "It took us an HOUR to get here. If they drive all the way home and have to come back, that will be another two or THREE hours until we get home!"  
Without averting his gaze, Near calmly said "Correct." and continued to twirl his hair.  
"If they don't come back soon we're going to miss the presents! And--and what if we don't get to say goodbye to L!? We aren't going to see him again for who knows how long!!" The boy shouted in panic. Completely opposite of Near, who responded calmly once again. "I'm aware of that."  
Mello was beyond upset. He wanted to go home but now he couldn't and it was all because of **Near**. Stupid Near and his stupid habit of wandering away from the group! The green eyed boy wasn't sure whether to punch him or scream and just walk away because it was too damn cold to think clearly. In the end, he chose to send a powerful kick into the black fence, which shook quite a bit of snow from it, cursed, and shouted "This is all your fault Near!!" before rubbing his face in frustration.

So there they were, cold, alone, and fretting they may not get home in time to say goodbye to L. Mello found himself watching that road, desperately hoping for a car to show up, but it never did. 10 minutes passed, then 30. Mello soon decided to head back to the town entrance and wait inside any shop that was still open, but as he walked towards the stairs Near chose to speak up once again.

"It was not my intention..."  
"Huh?" Mello turned around, baffled by the brat's sudden comment.  
"I admire L just as much as you, Mello. I would never intentionally create a situation such as this."  
"That's hard to believe. I thought all you cared about was winning," Mello responded harshly.  
"No, I believe it is you who only cares about winning." Near was playing with fire as usual, provoking Mello at the worst possible times. But rather than blowing up Mello just stood there, staring coldly over his shoulder at the small boy. When neither of them responded for several moments, Near headed towards the stairs, dusted off as much snow as he could, and sat down in that quirky, one-knee-bent way.  
"Whether you choose to believe it or not, I am disappointed that we may not see L again. But it is not my fault because you are the one who decided to follow me around like a puppy dog."  
"You--FINE. I'm fed up with this. You can stay here and freeze to death for all I fucking care!!" Mello kicked up snow as he brushed pass Near and down the road. There was no use freezing his butt off just to carry on some pointless argument with Near after all. But as he watched the malicious child storm off, Near did indeed feel regretful. Not for wandering off so far he'd been left behind, nor for "dragging" Mello along, but for arguing and pointing out the obvious when he could have instead remained silent. Maybe then Mello wouldn't be leaving him all alone in the bitter cold with no one to play with or talk to. Maybe he and Mello could have even passed the time discussing the day and what they believed L had gotten them for Christmas. Alas, all he'd done was upset his one and only "companion", if you could even call him that. Mello was certainly the only person Near would play with.  
With a small sigh, Near shut his eyes and placed his chin on the knee which was bent. There was nothing left to do now but wait.

Mello grumbled to himself as he stomped away. Who did that little brat think he was!? Luring him out here and then claiming he didn't do it on purpose. _PAH_. Mello knew that was a load of bull. And then to go on and claim he admired L--sure, that was probably true to a point--but he certainly didn't show it. If he admired L so much then why hadn't he spoken to him even _once_ that day?  
...Actually, come to think of it, Mello hadn't either. Besides the "Welcome home" and a few other comments, Mello had practically avoided the man all day. But why? They all looked forward to spending time with L so much throughout the year, why was he acting this way on the day that mattered most? Moreover... was Near doing the same thing? They both should have been trying extra hard to impress their idol but they weren't! Could it be that, like Mello, Near wanted to talk to L but wasn't sure how? Was he afraid of what the man would say? Maybe that was the case, but still, Mello couldn't help but feel that something wasn't quite right. With a deep sigh he slowed his pace and shot a glance back over his shoulder.

_I don't know what your freaking problem is._

Mello finally stopped, biting down on his cold bottom lip.

_But... I doubt you can deal with it alone._

The sandy-haired boy knew he would regret it later, but he turned back around and sat a few steps above his adversary. Near was shocked that Mello returned, but said nothing and simply opened his eyes to make sure the bully wasn't going to beat him to a pulp.

Time passed slowly. Everything was quiet as the snow continued to fall. The two boys said nothing to one another as they waited to be remembered. Once again, Mello found himself watching the younger boy like a hawk. And this time he actually saw something interesting--Near was trembling something fierce. Without a jacket it was no wonder the cold had finally gotten to him, Mello thought with a smirk, but the longer he watched, the worse he felt--and he didn't know _why_. When Near kept his mouth shut it almost seemed like he was an innocent kid, small, helpless, shivering violently through that thin layer of white cotton. It was so pathetic. Mello felt like he was watching a small injured animal struggling to move on.  
"Come on. Let's go. There may still be a store where we can stay until they come back." There was no response. Mello frowned and sighed once more. How could someone without emotion be so damn stubborn!?

_Stupid idiot. You should have brought a coat..._

Mello would never consider giving up his warm red jacket for anyone else--not even Matt, his best friend. He was just too selfish for that. But... sharing wouldn't kill him, would it? It was a surprise to them both, but before long Mello had stood and sat beside Near. The action was initially very awkward--Mello wasn't sure how to "share warmth" and Near didn't have a clue what Mello was even doing beside him. But Mello scooted closer, opened his coat, and whispered "Come on" to indicate it was no trick. Near felt especially strange considering the fact that he didn't enjoy physical contact, but as he slowly leaned into the older boy, he realized the warmth was definitely worth it.  
Mello held his breath as he "held" the shivering child. It felt wrong and weird but... he didn't mind so much, or at least not as much as he would have imagined. Exhaling slowly, Mello allowed his arms to wrap around the small figure and let his pink cheek lie in that mop of curly white hair.

"Thank you." The small, muffled thank you was not something Mello expected to hear. Pulling away enough to look down at the boy, he frowned and shrugged, acting as though it was no big deal and flushed when Near's lips curled upward in that devious and L-like way. Near noted the smile caused Mello to withdraw, so he quickly took action, something he _never_ did, and gripped onto the collar of Mello's black shirt. Mello frowned even more deeply than before, but took the hint that Near wasn't ready for him to leave. Strange, he normally wouldn't do anything for Near, but for the moment complying seemed okay. And when he leaned in to place a kiss on the younger boy's frozen lips, it didn't seem as wrong as he thought it would. In fact... it kind of felt good.

The bells chimed at midnight and, as if they had been a sign, a dark car came down the road and Mello quickly jumped up to greet it. He had a _lot_ to say to the people who left him behind with _Near_, and an entire hour to say it.

**A/N:Yeah, not use to the whole MelloxNear pairing 0.o **

**I usually like MelloxMatt, but I guess this pairing has some redeeming quailities too! **

**Anyway, Whatcha' think? Good? Bad? plz review! **


End file.
